In a statement, MCA’s Chris Daniel Wong pointed out that Umno not only lost the three seats, namely Kuantan, Gelang Patang and Wangsa Maju, which were “borrowed” from MCA, but lost with a bigger majority.

Umno was defeated in the Kuantan parliamentary seat in GE13 by a majority of 4,515 votes compared with the 1,826 majority in GE12 when MCA contested.

In 2008, MCA won Gelang Patah by 8,851 votes, while Umno lost the constituency in 2013 by a 14,762 majority.

Meanwhile, the Opposition retained the Wangsa Maju parliamentary seat with a 5,511 majority after Umno fielded its candidate in 2013. Wong said, MCA had lost by only 150 votes in 2008.

“Thus, it is Umno who lost these federal seats in the first place and not MCA,” Wong said.

Wong, who is MCA Religious Harmony Bureau secretary, said this in response to the Umno Supreme Council Member’s statement that MCA needed to guarantee it could wrest back the three constituencies before demanding the seats back from Umno.

Shahidan told FMT that MCA should not demand for the seats if the Chinese-based party could not win it.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said this in response to MCA President Liow Tiong Lai’s statement that it would ask Umno to return the three seats which belonged to them as they have identified candidates for GE14.

“In Shahidan’s very own words, why borrow the seats, only to lose them?” Wong said, suggesting the Umno leader look in the mirror first before speaking up.

Wong added that Shahidan should be reminded that according to Politweet, Umno lost 12 per cent of Malay support in Johor and this was something that should worry him more rather than stating that MCA is unable to win any seats.